Lifting the fog on depression among new immigrants

The immigration journey can cause depression, anxiety, feelings of loss and worry; three immigrants share their experiences with Canadian Immigrant

Indian-born Riya Bhargava (name changed for privacy) still remembers the overwhelming chill — literally and figuratively — she felt as she looked out the window of her apartment in Montreal when she first came to visit her husband. The couple had lived apart for almost a year and a half before reuniting in Canada — she was a successful television producer in Mumbai, and he, a software professional based in Quebec, trying out the possibility of a life in Canada.

“I detest the cold. So for me to even think of moving to a place that looked so still and frozen was very anxiety-inducing,” says Bhargava, who already struggled with depression and anxiety in India. Medications and support from her friends and family had helped her get back on her feet in India and she was doing great for a while — until the topic of immigrating to Canada came up for discussion at the dinner table. “I had a flourishing career in Mumbai, leading a team of 60 to 70 people” she says. “I had no aspirations to move out of India, so giving it all up and moving to Canada where I would probably have to start from scratch, all the while leaving family behind was too much for me.”

Once in Canada, Bhargava fell back into that familiar fog of depression.

Experiencing loss in the immigration journey

“When immigrants move to a new country, there is a sense of loss — of their identities, family, friends, everything. In their native country, they probably were experts in their field, they knew how the system worked, they had a strong network of family and friends, and now they don’t have any of that when they first come here,” says Farzana Doctor, a registered social worker and the author of three novels, her first, Stealing Nasreen, having focused on the lives of two new immigrants who experience loss and difficulties finding employment.

According to a 2012 study on immigrant mental wellbeing by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), about 29 per cent of immigrants reported having emotional problems and 16 per cent reported high levels of stress after immigrating, with women more likely to report experiencing emotional problems.

Doctor also acknowledges Bhargava’s reaction to Canadian weather. “We think it’s just the weather, but it’s a crucial factor. The darker your skin, the less sunlight you absorb and that means you are not getting your required levels of vitamin D. That can impact how you feel emotionally,” she says.

Bhargava moved permanently to Montreal this past August, and things are coming together. From finding employment in her area of expertise, to adopting a pet, to learning French, the newcomer is slowly embracing her new life in Canada. She also maintains a gratitude journal, a strategy recommended by her therapist. “I still cry when I think of my friends and family in India. I take a bunch of medication for my anxiety. But I’m in control,” she says. “I work out, eat healthy, socialize and though there are times I reminisce about my career in India, I really enjoy my work here.”

Role of success in mental health

For Sajin and Sharda Patel (names changed for privacy), their immigration journey in 2002 began on the wrong note — with the loss of Sajin’s bags at the airport. Make it two wrong notes: Sajin, who landed in Canada ahead of his wife, was told that his name was missing from the immigration system. “He eventually sorted it all out,” says his wife, Sharda. “Some friends we knew came to the airport to pick him up and he stayed with them for a while in a small shared flat. My husband was a business owner in India, he never worked under anyone for a day in his entire life and now he was squeezed into a small space wondering what was going to happen next.”

Sajin sent long, despairing emails to his wife about the hopelessness he was feeling. From settling for a survival job, to taking public transport, it was a big shock. “He got a job in an automobile factory in the GTA where he had to draw lines in the parking lot — that was his job! That’s when he had his first breakdown,” she says.

At one point, Sajin refused to look for employment anymore and decided that he would wait for his wife and children to join him before he did anything else.

His distressed reaction isn’t surprising. Immigrants with lower income are more likely to report a high level of stress, according to that same IRCC study on immigrant mental wellbeing.

And, according to a 2014 report by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, a new immigrant’s ability to make money and secure employment are at the forefront of mental health wellness. The report found that, overall, immigrants arrive in Canada with better mental and physical health than the Canadian-born population, but after seven years in the country, this “healthy immigrant effect” is lost. Evidence suggests that, in particular, immigrants from racialized groups and refugees are at risk for deteriorating health soon after arrival.

Despite her husband’s distress, Sharda was determined to explore the possibilities in Canada for a better life for her children, so she sent back emails with encouraging words to keep her husband’s spirits up. She also sought the help of friends and family, from as far as Dubai, to motivate him by speaking to him constantly over the phone and through emails.

“A friend, who is one of our closest now, suggested that he move to a smaller place like Waterloo, where there might me more job opportunities for him. Ultimately he landed a job with another automobile company and things got better,” she says.

When the kids and she finally joined Sajin, they had their own set of challenges to overcome. “My daughter was bullied for taking Indian lunches to school, she was even beaten up!” she says. But the family rallied together to stand firm. Sajin worked overtime, while Sharda upgraded her skills. Within three years of moving to Canada, both their personal and professional lives were on track.

Today, the couple lives in a prominent neighbourhood in the GTA, and have flourishing careers — he with a major Canadian retailer and she with an immigration firm. The children are doing them proud, too. “We moved here for a better life for our children. It’s been a struggle, but we made it,” she says triumphantly.

Worrying about the future

For Egyptian-born Ubaid Badawi (name changed for privacy), his depression manifested itself in sleepless nights. “I was an engineer in Cairo, but amidst all the unrest there, I moved with my family to Canada maybe overnight. We lost everything,” he says.

“I had to drive a taxi to make ends meet, and my wife worked part time at a jewellery store,” he says. Nights were spent awake worrying about what the future held for him and his family. The sleep deprivation reached a point where Badawi collapsed at work. The few friends he had in his neighbourhood along with teachers from his children’s school got him help.

“My community came together. They offered to take turns to look after the kids for an hour after school every day of the week while I rested and my wife went to work. It took a couple of months, but we got better eventually,” he says.

Farzana Doctor recommends that setting realistic expectations is a crucial factor for any newcomer who is overcome with worry. “Newcomers should ask themselves, ‘What must I accept and what must I change?’”

She also advises newcomers to be less reactive and focus on practising mindfulness. Activities like yoga, exercise, communing with nature, giving back to others and eating a healthy, vitamin-rich diet have also been documented to help improve moods. “Accept the difficult feelings. They flow more, reach out into our wise minds and find solutions,” she says.

Seeking mental health support

Newcomers should also understand it’s OK to seek out more formal support, beyond friends and family. As a start, immigrant settlement agencies have counsellors to help you through your challenges as a new immigrant, often in your own language. There are also a variety of distress helplines you can call, such as Ontario’s Mental Health Helpline (1-866-531-2600) or B.C.’s Mental Health Support Line (310-6789) although services may be limited in language support.

If you have a family doctor, you can also start by talking to them about your options for treatment, including psychiatric care. (Family doctors and psychiatrists are the ones who can dispense any medications, such as anti-depressants.)

Beyond these free resources, there are different types of counsellors and psychologists who offer one-on-one counselling for a fee, some of which could be covered by extended health coverage plans. If it makes you more comfortable, seek out someone from your ethnicity who can speak your language. There are plenty of qualified professionals out there you can find through a Google search.

However, with stigma about mental health predominant among immigrant communities, newcomers are often less likely to take these steps to seek support. There are also multiple barriers to accessing the medical system that immigrants may face after arrival in Canada, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, including unfamiliarity or discomfort with the system. Further, there are cultural differences in how mental illness is understood and conceptualized, which could prevent an immigrant from getting the support they need.

This is particularly true for immigrants of Chinese and South Asian heritage. A 2016 study of Chinese and South Asian mental health patients shows the very real impact of stigma and cultural barriers on accessing support.

“When compared to patients from other populations, Chinese and South Asian patients were on average much sicker by the time they got to hospital,” said Dr. Maria Chiu, lead author of the study, Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Severity.

“Cultural factors play a big role in these findings. While Asian people tend to have stronger family support, they are also faced with a higher level of stigma and it prevents people from seeking help early. Families may try to cope and keep the illness within the family until there is no choice but to go to hospital.”

It’s much better for everyone to seek support before things get to such a serious level.

With files from Toronto Star

Check your symptoms

Not sure if you should seek our mental health support? Check your symptoms against this checklist from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. If any one of the following statements apply to you, you should consider seeking professional help.

Most of the time I feel restless and unable to sit still.

I drink or get high on drugs to deal with stress.

I feel tired all of the time, no matter how much I sleep.

I have missed days from school or work because of drinking or using drugs.

I find myself thinking a lot about death and suicide.

I am having problems concentrating, thinking, remembering or making decisions.

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About us…

Founded in 2004, the magazine began with a mandate to "inform, educate and motivate" immigrants to Canada and assist them in their new found journey. Since then, the magazine has grown to be the only national multi-platform brand for all immigrants to Canada, on topics from careers to education to settlement.
Canadian Immigrant not only connects newcomers in Canada, but also aspiring immigrants from more than 150 countries.

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